Polymer Thin Films and Membranes 2013

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2013) | Viewed by 50068

Special Issue Editor

Department of Macromolecular Science and Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106-7202, USA
Interests: Solution, diffusion and permeation; separation membranes; electronic and electrochemical membranes; degradation and other environmental effects on polymers; mechanical properties, deformation and fatigue of polymers; multi-component polymer systems; adhesion and adhesives, sealants and coatings; surface science and technology
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Synthetic membrane technology has achieved a startling rate of development over the last three decades. Many, if not most, of the membrane materials useful for separation processes, drug release, reactor media, and other applications are dependent on the formation and properties of thin films, often ultra-thin surface or interfacial films. Our understanding of these systems involves knowledge of the relationships between materials composition, structure and properties as affected by processing and end-use conditions. A better understanding of the scientific basis of these relationships would serve as a stimulus and guide for obtaining even more dramatic systems and applications. Areas of great promise and much accomplishment are the substitution of synthetic materials for natural biological or botanical membranes, extension of the scope of viable separation membrane applications and formation of complex membrane reactor systems. All of these areas, and others, would benefit greatly from such an increase in knowledge. This Special Issue is intended to provide a means for communicating studies that increase our scientific knowledge of thin film and membrane systems. Its content also will reflect advances reported in other relevant Special Issues of Polymers.

Prof. Dr. Charles Rogers
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • membranes
  • thin films
  • interfacial phenomena
  • penetrant-polymer interactions
  • natural membranes
  • membrane reactors
  • membrane separations
  • selective permeation
  • separation of isomeric and racemic mixtures

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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891 KiB  
Article
Synthesis and Gas Transport Properties of Hyperbranched Polyimide–Silica Hybrid/Composite Membranes
by Masako Miki, Hideki Horiuchi and Yasuharu Yamada
Polymers 2013, 5(4), 1362-1379; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym5041362 - 04 Dec 2013
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 8192
Abstract
Hyperbranched polyimide–silica hybrids (HBPI–silica HBDs) and hyperbranched polyimide–silica composites (HBPI–silica CPTs) were prepared, and their general and gas transport properties were investigated to clarify the effect of silica sources and preparation methods. HBPI–silica HBDs and HBPI–silica CPTs were synthesized by two-step polymerization of [...] Read more.
Hyperbranched polyimide–silica hybrids (HBPI–silica HBDs) and hyperbranched polyimide–silica composites (HBPI–silica CPTs) were prepared, and their general and gas transport properties were investigated to clarify the effect of silica sources and preparation methods. HBPI–silica HBDs and HBPI–silica CPTs were synthesized by two-step polymerization of A2 + B3 monomer system via polyamic acid as precursor, followed by hybridizing or blending silica sources. Silica components were incorporated by the sol-gel reaction with tetramethoxysilane (TMOS) or the addition of colloidal silica. In HBPI-silica HBDs, the aggregation of silica components is controlled because of the high affinity of HBPI and silica caused by the formation of covalent bonds between HBPI and silica. Consequently, HBPI-silica HBDs had good film formability, transparency, and mechanical properties compared with HBPI-silica CPTs. HBPI-silica HBD and CPT membranes prepared via the sol-gel reaction with TMOS showed specific gas permeabilities and permselectivities for CO2/CH4 separation, that is, both CO2 permeability and CO2/CH4 selectivity increased with increasing silica content. This result suggests that gas transport can occur through a molecular sieving effect of the porous silica network derived from the sol-gel reaction and/or through the narrow interfacial region between the silica networks and the organic matrix. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Thin Films and Membranes 2013)
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293 KiB  
Article
Ion Permeability of Free-Suspended Layer-by-Layer (LbL) Films Prepared Using an Alginate Scaffold
by Katsuhiko Sato, Takuto Shiba and Jun-ichi Anzai
Polymers 2013, 5(2), 696-705; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym5020696 - 06 Jun 2013
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 6396
Abstract
Layer-by-layer (LbL) films were prepared over an aperture (diameter 1–5 mm) on a glass plate to study ion permeation across free-suspended LbL films. LbL films were prepared by depositing alternating layers of poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) and poly(styrene sulfonate) (PSS) on the surface of [...] Read more.
Layer-by-layer (LbL) films were prepared over an aperture (diameter 1–5 mm) on a glass plate to study ion permeation across free-suspended LbL films. LbL films were prepared by depositing alternating layers of poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) and poly(styrene sulfonate) (PSS) on the surface of a glass plate with an aperture filled with an alginate gel, followed by dissolution of the alginate gel. PAH-PSS films prepared in this way showed permeability to inorganic salts, depending on the size and charge. Permeability to alkali metal chlorides depended on the Stokes radius of the alkali metal cations. The effect of the type of halide was negligible because of the halides’ smaller ionic radii. Permeation of multivalent ions such as Ru(NH3)63+ and [Fe(CN)6]3 was severely suppressed owing to Donnan exclusion. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Thin Films and Membranes 2013)
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1690 KiB  
Article
Cholesterol-Induced Buckling in Physisorbed Polymer-Tethered Lipid Monolayers
by Noor F. Hussain, Amanda P. Siegel, Merrell A. Johnson and Christoph A. Naumann
Polymers 2013, 5(2), 404-417; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym5020404 - 26 Apr 2013
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 6554
Abstract
The influence of cholesterol concentration on the formation of buckling structures is studied in a physisorbed polymer-tethered lipid monolayer system using epifluorescence microscopy (EPI) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The monolayer system, built using the Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) technique, consists of 3 mol % [...] Read more.
The influence of cholesterol concentration on the formation of buckling structures is studied in a physisorbed polymer-tethered lipid monolayer system using epifluorescence microscopy (EPI) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The monolayer system, built using the Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) technique, consists of 3 mol % poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) lipopolymers and various concentrations of the phospholipid, 1-stearoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (SOPC), and cholesterol (CHOL). In the absence of CHOL, AFM micrographs show only occasional buckling structures, which is caused by the presence of the lipopolymers in the monolayer. In contrast, a gradual increase of CHOL concentration in the range of 0–40 mol % leads to fascinating film stress relaxation phenomena in the form of enhanced membrane buckling. Buckling structures are moderately deficient in CHOL, but do not cause any notable phospholipid-lipopolymer phase separation. Our experiments demonstrate that membrane buckling in physisorbed polymer-tethered membranes can be controlled through CHOL-mediated adjustment of membrane elastic properties. They further show that CHOL may have a notable impact on molecular confinement in the presence of crowding agents, such as lipopolymers. Our results are significant, because they offer an intriguing prospective on the role of CHOL on the material properties in complex membrane architecture. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Thin Films and Membranes 2013)
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Review

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1164 KiB  
Review
Pressure Retarded Osmosis and Forward Osmosis Membranes: Materials and Methods
by Inger Lise Alsvik and May-Britt Hägg
Polymers 2013, 5(1), 303-327; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym5010303 - 21 Mar 2013
Cited by 192 | Viewed by 28552
Abstract
In the past four decades, membrane development has occurred based on the demand in pressure driven processes. However, in the last decade, the interest in osmotically driven processes, such as forward osmosis (FO) and pressure retarded osmosis (PRO), has increased. The preparation of [...] Read more.
In the past four decades, membrane development has occurred based on the demand in pressure driven processes. However, in the last decade, the interest in osmotically driven processes, such as forward osmosis (FO) and pressure retarded osmosis (PRO), has increased. The preparation of customized membranes is essential for the development of these technologies. Recently, several very promising membrane preparation methods for FO/PRO applications have emerged. Preparation of thin film composite (TFC) membranes with a customized polysulfone (PSf) support, electorspun support, TFC membranes on hydrophilic support and hollow fiber membranes have been reported for FO/PRO applications. These novel methods allow the use of other materials than the traditional asymmetric cellulose acetate (CA) membranes and TFC polyamide/polysulfone membranes. This review provides an outline of the membrane requirements for FO/PRO and the new methods and materials in membrane preparation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Thin Films and Membranes 2013)
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